JP6471610B2 - Slide rail - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a slide rail. More specifically, the present invention relates to a slide rail that connects a vehicle seat so as to be slidable with respect to a vehicle body.

  Conventionally, as a slide rail for a vehicle seat, there is known a configuration having a lower rail attached on a floor and an upper rail attached to the vehicle seat so as to be slidable back and forth with respect to the lower rail. (Patent Document 1). As a mechanism for locking the slide between the two rails at normal times, the above-mentioned slide rail has a lock spring extending in a long shape in the slide direction supported by the upper rail, and elastically enters the lock groove of the lower rail from the lower side. A locking mechanism is used.

JP 2012-126183 A

  However, in the above prior art, if the pitch of the lock groove formed in the lower rail is narrowed in order to narrow the slide lock pitch by the lock spring, the wall width between the lock grooves of the lower rail is narrowed and the lock strength is lowered. . The present invention was devised as a solution to the above-mentioned problem, and the problem to be solved by the present invention is to ensure both the locking strength of the slide rail and the narrowing of the lock pitch of the slide lock. Is to plan.

  In order to solve the above problems, the slide rail of the present invention takes the following means.

  1st invention is a slide rail which connects the sheet | seat for vehicles to the state which can be slid with respect to a vehicle main body. This slide rail is formed on a fixed rail that is attached to the vehicle body, a movable rail that is assembled in a slidable state on the fixed rail, and is attached to the vehicle seat, and is attached to one rail and formed on the other rail. And four lock pieces that lock the slide between the two rails by being energized into the plurality of lock grooves. Each lock groove has the same constant groove width in the sliding direction and a pair of left and right structures arranged at equal intervals in the sliding direction with an interval three times the groove width. The four lock pieces are provided separately on the left and right, and the positions in one or a plurality of pitches where the respective lock grooves are arranged are different from each other by a quarter pitch. It is set as the arrangement arranged in.

  According to the first aspect of the invention, two of the four lock pieces are always brought into contact with one end and the other end in the lock groove regardless of the slide position of the movable rail. The slide lock state can be set. The slide lock described above can be performed at a pitch in the narrow sliding direction that is the same as the groove width of each lock groove because each lock piece is arranged at the above-mentioned interval, and the groove width of each lock groove is 3 This can be done with a high lock strength with a double wide wall width. With such a configuration, it is possible to achieve both the guarantee of the lock strength of the slide rail and the narrowing of the lock pitch of the slide lock.

  The second invention is the following configuration in the first invention described above. The four lock pieces are composed of two lock springs that project one piece to the left and right to exert a symmetrical slide lock spring force.

  According to the second aspect of the invention, the slide lock structure can be rationally configured with a small number of parts.

  The third invention is the following configuration in the second invention described above. Each of the two lock springs is constituted by a torsion spring, and the lock pieces that are projected one by one on the left and right are respectively bent back in a U shape and correspond to each lock piece in the sliding direction. It is set as the shape made into the shape which has a pair of lock piece arrange | positioned in a pitch position.

  According to the third aspect, the lock strength of the slide rail can be effectively increased without increasing the number of parts.

  The fourth invention is the following structure in the third invention described above. Each of the two lock springs has a configuration in which a pin is passed through a central winding portion of the two lock springs and is pivotally supported with respect to one rail, and is bent back into a U-shape of each lock piece. The tip end is hooked on the pin to prevent it from coming off.

  According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, when a large load is applied between the rails in the sliding state in which the slide rails are forcibly displaced in the sliding direction, the locking pieces are bent back into a U shape. Even if the pair of lock pieces formed at the tip is laterally bent by this force, the lock pieces of the pair can be prevented from being moved in the direction of coming out of the lock grooves.

  The fifth invention is the following structure in the third invention described above. Each of the two lock springs has a configuration in which a pin is passed through a central winding portion of the two lock springs and is pivotally supported with respect to one rail, and is bent back into a U-shape of each lock piece. The front end is bent in the sliding direction and hooked on one rail to prevent it from coming off.

  According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, when a large load is applied between the rails in the sliding state so as to forcibly displace them in the sliding direction, the locking pieces are bent back into a U shape. Even if the pair of lock pieces formed at the tip is laterally bent by this force, the lock pieces of the pair can be prevented from being moved in the direction of coming out of the lock grooves.

It is the perspective view which showed schematic structure of the sheet | seat to which the slide rail of Example 1 was applied. It is a side view of a sheet. It is an expansion perspective view of a slide rail. It is a disassembled perspective view of a slide rail. It is a disassembled perspective view of a locking mechanism. It is the VI-VI sectional view taken on the line of FIG. It is the VII-VII sectional view taken on the line of FIG. It is the VIII-VIII sectional view taken on the line of FIG. It is the perspective view which expressed the lock state of the slide rail in a partly thinned state. It is the perspective view which expressed the cancellation | release state of the slide rail in a partly thinned state. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing the release state in the same cross-sectional view as FIG. 6. It is the schematic diagram which each represented the 1st lock pattern of the slide rail by the arrangement | sequence of the lock piece which represents (a) inner side view (b) top view (c) outer side view (d). It is the schematic diagram which each represented the 2nd lock pattern of the slide rail by the arrangement | sequence of the lock piece which represents (a) inner side view (b) top view (c) outer side view (d). It is the schematic diagram which each represented the 3rd lock pattern of the slide rail by the arrangement | sequence of the lock piece which represents (a) inner side view (b) top view (c) outer side view (d). It is the schematic diagram which each represented the 4th lock pattern of the slide rail by the arrangement | sequence of the lock piece which represents (a) inner side view (b) top view (c) outer side view (d). It is the schematic diagram which represented the principal part structure of the slide rail of Example 2 by (a) inner side view (b) top view (c) outer side view.

  EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION Below, the form for implementing this invention is demonstrated using drawing.

<Schematic configuration of slide rail 10>
First, the structure of the slide rail 10 of Example 1 is demonstrated using FIGS. As shown in FIG. 1, the slide rail 10 of this embodiment is configured as a connecting device that connects a vehicle seat 1 (vehicle seat) to a state in which the vehicle seat 1 is slid in the front-rear direction with respect to a floor F (vehicle body). ing. The slide rail 10 is provided in a pair of left and right between the seat 1 and the floor F described above, and each of the slide rail 10 is switched between a locked state and a permitted state by releasing the sliding motion in the front-rear direction of the seat 1. It is the structure provided with the lock mechanism 13 which can do. With the above configuration, each slide rail 10 can adjust or fix the position of the seat 1 relative to the floor F in the front-rear direction.

  Here, the above-described seat 1 is configured as a right seat of an automobile, and includes a seat back 2 that serves as a backrest for a seated occupant and a seat cushion 3 that serves as a seating portion. The seat back 2 described above is provided in a state in which the lower end portions of the left and right sides thereof are connected to the rear end portions of the left and right sides of the seat cushion 3. The seat cushion 3 is provided in a state in which a bottom surface portion thereof is connected to the floor F so as to be slidable back and forth via the pair of left and right slide rails 10 described above.

  Each of the slide rails 10 described above is normally held in a state in which their slide operation is locked. Each slide rail 10 performs an operation in which a seated person pulls up a central operation portion 16B1 of a substantially U-shaped slide lever 16B projecting from the inner side toward the front lower portion of the seat cushion 3 toward the front side. These locked states are released all at once, and can be switched to a state in which the seat 1 can be slid in the front-rear direction. Each slide rail 10 is returned to the slide-locked state by the urging force when the above-described pulling-up operation of the slide lever 16B is released. By such switching, each slide rail 10 can slide the seat 1 in the front-rear direction with respect to the floor F, or can be fixed at each slide position.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the seat 1 described above is in a state of being slightly inclined with respect to the floor F so that the whole is in a front-up position. Specifically, the seat 1 is provided in a posture in which the floor F is inclined in a front-up manner together with the slide rails 10 installed on the floor F because the floor F has a shape that is inclined in a front-up manner. It is said that. With such a configuration, the seat 1 can ensure a wide field of view to the front side even when an occupant with a small physique is seated.

  Hereinafter, a specific configuration of each slide rail 10 described above will be described in detail. In addition, since each slide rail 10 becomes a structure symmetrical with each other, in the following, the structure of the slide rail 10 inside the vehicle shown on the right side in FIG. To do.

<Specific configuration of slide rail 10>
As shown in FIG. 4, the slide rail 10 includes a lower rail 11 attached on the floor F (see FIGS. 1 to 2) and an upper rail 12 attached to the lower part of the seat cushion 3 (see FIGS. 1 to 2). A locking mechanism 13 for locking and releasing the slide between the rails 11 and 12, four resin shoes 14 provided between the lower rail 11 and the upper rail 12, and each resin shoe 14 A plurality of steel balls 15 mounted on each of the upper and lower ends of each of the above and a release mechanism 16 that performs a release operation of the lock mechanism 13. Here, the lower rail 11 described above corresponds to the “fixed side rail” and the “other rail” of the present invention, and the upper rail 12 corresponds to the “movable side rail” and the “one rail” of the present invention.

<Lower rail 11>
The lower rail 11 described above is formed by bending a sheet of steel sheet that is long in the front-rear direction of the vehicle so that it has a substantially U-shaped cross-sectional shape in the short-side direction. The front and rear two parts are provided on the floor F (see FIGS. 1 to 2) as bolts and are integrally fixed. The lower rail 11 is formed by being bent so that the cross-sectional shape thereof is substantially uniform in the longitudinal direction (sliding direction). Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 7, the lower rail 11 has a bottom surface portion 11 </ b> A provided on the floor F with the surface facing upward, and an upper side from the left and right edges of the bottom surface portion 11 </ b> A. It is formed in a cross-sectional shape having a pair of left and right lower fin portions 11B that are extended and bent back in an inverted U shape on the inward sides.

  As shown in FIG. 4, each of the above-described edge portions of the lower fin portions 11 </ b> B bent back in an inverted U shape has a rectangular lock groove cut out to open downward. A plurality of 11B1s are formed at equal intervals in the sliding direction. Each of the lock grooves 11B1 has a groove width W of 4 mm in the sliding direction (the width of the inner surface (upper surface) of the groove), and is spaced by a distance D of 12 mm that is three times the groove width W in the sliding direction. A plurality of lines are arranged symmetrically.

  Each lock groove 11B1 is formed in such a shape that its opening is widened in an inclined manner. Each lock groove 11B1 functions to lock the slide of the upper rail 12 by engaging each lock spring 13A of the lock mechanism 13 attached to the upper rail 12 described later from the lower side. Strictly speaking, each of the lock grooves 11B1 has a groove width W of 4 mm so that a gap in the front-rear direction is not formed between the lock grooves 11B1 when the lock springs 13A are inserted. It is formed in a shape that is recessed deeper than the depth position. Thus, the lock springs 13A are configured to be easily engaged with the inclined standing walls of the lock grooves 11B1 without bottoming in the lock grooves 11B1.

  Further, the front end portion, the rear end portion, and the center portion of each lower side fin portion 11B of the lower rail 11 described above are respectively applied to and slide on the inner side surface of each lower side fin portion 11B. A shoe stopper 11D for regulating the sliding range in the front-rear direction of the two resin shoes 14 within a certain range is formed by being cut and raised inside. These shoe stoppers 11 </ b> D are configured to abut and restrict sliding in the front-rear direction with respect to the lower rail 11 of the resin shoes 14 by their cut and raised shapes.

  Further, rail stoppers (not shown) for restricting the movement range of the upper rail 12 that slides in the front-rear direction along the shape of the lower rail 11 are provided on the inner side surfaces of the lower fin portions 11B. It is cut and raised. These rail stoppers (not shown) are formed by cutting and raising at the front end portion and the rear end portion of the lower rail 11, respectively, and the upper and lower side fins on the left and right sides of the upper rail 12, which will be described later. The front stopper or the rear stopper (not shown) cut and raised by the portion 12C is brought into contact with and locked to a position where it is locked.

<Upper rail 12>
The upper rail 12 is formed by bending a sheet of steel sheet that is long in the front-rear direction of the vehicle so that it has a substantially hat-shaped cross-sectional shape in the short side direction. The cushion 3 (see FIGS. 1 and 2) is bolted to a skeleton (not shown) and is integrally fixed. The upper rail 12 is assembled in a state in which the upper rail 12 is slidable in the longitudinal direction with respect to the lower rail 11 by being inserted into the lower rail 11 from the opening end on either side of the longitudinal direction (sliding direction) of the lower rail 11 described above. (See FIG. 3).

  The upper rail 12 is also formed by being bent so that its cross-sectional shape is substantially uniform in the longitudinal direction (sliding direction). Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 7, the upper rail 12 is a pair of left and right vertically extending in the height direction that is passed through the gap 11 </ b> C between the left and right lower fin portions 11 </ b> B of the lower rail 11 described above. 12 A of surface parts, the top plate surface part 12B extended in the width direction in the form spanned between the upper end parts of each vertical surface part 12A, and the shape which curves up in U shape toward the mutually opposing outer side from the lower end part of each vertical surface part 12A And a pair of left and right upper fin portions 12C bent back to each other.

  The above-described upper rail 12 has left and right upper side fin portions bent back in the U shape with respect to the lower rail 11 and the left and right lower side fin portions bent back in the inverted U shape of the lower rail 11. 11B is inserted and assembled in the longitudinal direction (sliding direction) so as to be hooked into each of 11B (see FIG. 7). By assembling in this way, the upper rail 12 is assembled to the lower rail 11 in such a manner that the left and right upper fin portions 12C are engaged with the lower fin portions 11B of the lower rail 11 and are not peeled upward. It is assumed that The above-described upper rail 12 has a state in which a skeleton portion (not shown) of the seat cushion 3 is bolted and fixed integrally on a top plate surface portion 12B that protrudes upward from the central portion in the width direction of the lower rail 11 and is exposed. (See FIGS. 1-2).

  As shown in FIG. 4, at the lower ends of the vertical surface portions 12A of the upper rail 12 described above, through grooves 12A1 that allow two lock springs 13A of the lock mechanism 13 described later to pass from below are respectively provided below. It is cut into a shape that opens to the side. Each of the through grooves 12A1 is formed in a shape that is cut out over a partial region of the upper fin portion 12C on both the left and right sides of the upper rail 12. Locking pieces 13A2a and 13A3a arranged on the front and rear sides of the left and right U-shaped wings 13A2 and 13A3 of the lock springs 13A passed through the through-grooves 12A1 and the edge portions on the front and rear sides of the through-grooves 12A1, respectively. The lock pieces 13A2b and 13A3b (see FIGS. 5 and 9) are formed in a slit groove 12A2 that is cut out in a slit shape so that the lock pieces 13A2b and 13A3b (see FIGS. 5 and 9) can be individually passed upward (see FIG. 8).

<Resin shoe 14>
Next, the four resin shoes 14 provided between the upper rail 12 and the lower rail 11 described above will be described with reference to FIG. Each resin shoe 14 has a structure in which one (upper side) or two (lower side) steel balls 15 are fitted into respective end portions on the upper and lower sides thereof. As shown in FIG. 7, the resin shoes 14 are provided so as to be interposed in the width direction between the left and right upper fin portions 12C of the upper rail 12 and the left and right lower fin portions 11B of the lower rail 11, respectively. ing.

  Specifically, each resin shoe 14 has an inner corner portion at the base of the left and right lower side fin portions 11B of the lower rail 11, that is, a portion inscribed in a corner portion between the left and right lower side fin portions 11B and the bottom surface portion 11A. Each of the left and right lower fin portions 11B is provided so as to extend in the height direction between a portion inscribed in each of the upper and outer corners bent back inward. Due to the installation of the resin shoes 14 described above, the steel balls 15 fitted in the upper and lower ends of the resin shoes 14 are bent back to the outside of the left and right upper fin portions 12C of the upper rail 12. A space is provided between the upper and lower outer corner portions and the upper and lower inner corner portions of the left and right lower side fin portions 11B of the lower rail 11, respectively. Thus, the upper rail 12 is supported with respect to the lower rail 11 so as to be able to slide smoothly in the front-rear direction without greatly rattling in the height direction or the width direction.

<Lock mechanism 13 and release mechanism 16>
Next, the configuration of the lock mechanism 13 and the release mechanism 16 will be described with reference to FIGS. As shown in FIGS. 4 to 5, the lock mechanism 13 includes two lock springs 13 </ b> A that are arranged in parallel in the sliding direction and are composed of mutually common parts, a support shaft 13 </ b> B that supports the lock spring 13 </ b> A, and a support shaft 13 </ b> B. And a bracket 13 </ b> C that holds the upper rail 12 attached to the top plate surface portion 12 </ b> B of the upper rail 12 from below. The release mechanism 16 operates to release the release member 16A and the release member 16A that are assembled in a state of being applied from the upper side across the lock springs 13A, and to release the release member 16A all together. And a slide lever 16B. Here, the support shaft 13B corresponds to a “pin” of the present invention.

<Lock spring 13A>
As shown in FIGS. 5 and 12, each lock spring 13 </ b> A constituting the lock mechanism 13 described above is bent into a shape in which a single steel wire is wound in a coil shape in some places or is projected in a U shape to the left and right. Are formed into a 180-degree rotationally symmetric (point-symmetric) butterfly shape. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 12, each lock spring 13 </ b> A has a winding portion 13 </ b> A <b> 1 wound in a coil shape in the sliding direction and a U-shape projecting from the winding portion 13 </ b> A <b> 1 toward the left side (the lower side in the drawing). A U-shaped wing 13A2 bent into a shape and a U-shaped wing 13A3 bent into a U-shape projecting from the winding portion 13A1 toward the right side (the upper side in the drawing) are formed.

  The U-shaped wings 13A2 projecting from the winding portion 13A1 of each lock spring 13A toward the left side (the lower side in the drawing) protrude from the rear end of the winding portion 13A1 to the left side (the lower side in the drawing) and are U-shaped on the front side. It is bent and formed into a shape that is folded back. Thereby, each U-shaped wing 13A2 projecting toward the left side (the lower side in the drawing) has a lock piece 13A2a that extends straight in the width direction from the rear end of the winding portion 13A1, and a front side from the tip of the lock piece 13A2a. And a pair of lock pieces 13A2b that are folded back and face the front side of the lock pieces 13A2a and extend straight in the width direction. Each of the pair of lock pieces 13A2b is bent so as to have a shape extending straight in the width direction at a position in front of the front end of the winding portion 13A1. The U-shaped wings 13A2 have their end portions 13A2c extending from the pair of lock pieces 13A2b wound around the support shafts 13B passed through the winding portions 13A1 from the lower side in the width direction. It is in a state where it has been prevented from coming off.

  Further, the U-shaped wings 13A3 projecting from the winding portion 13A1 of each lock spring 13A toward the right side (the upper side in the drawing) project from the front end of the winding portion 13A1 to the right side (the upper side in the drawing) and are folded back in the U shape. It is formed to be bent. Thereby, each U-shaped wing 13A3 protruding toward the right side (the upper side in the drawing) is folded back from the front end of the winding portion 13A1 to the lock piece 13A3a that extends straight in the width direction and from the tip of the lock piece 13A3a. And a pair of lock pieces 13A3b that extend straight in the width direction so as to face the rear side of the lock piece 13A3a. Each of the pair of lock pieces 13A3b is bent so as to have a shape extending straight in the width direction at a position rearward of the rear end of the winding portion 13A1. Each U-shaped wing 13A3 has its end 13A3c extending from the pair of lock pieces 13A3b wound around the support shaft 13B passed through the winding 13A1 from the lower side in the width direction. It is in a state where it has been prevented from coming off.

  As shown in FIG. 5, each lock spring 13A is disposed at a position between front and rear vertical surface portions 13C1 of a bracket 13C, which will be described later, and a support shaft 13B inserted between the vertical surface portions 13C1 from the front side is passed through. By passing through these winding parts 13A1, it is provided as a state supported by the bracket 13C via the support shaft 13B. Each of the lock springs 13A is formed in an initial shape with an angular posture in which the U-shaped wings 13A2 and 13A3 projecting in the U-shape on both the left and right sides jump up obliquely upward with respect to the winding portion 13A1. Yes. A release member 16A, which will be described later, is assembled on each of the U-shaped wings 13A2 and 13A3 projecting to the left and right sides. By the above assembly, each lock spring 13A is pressed from above by the release member 16A and is held so as not to swing left and right, and is held in a posture with a symmetrical tilt angle. .

<Bracket 13C>
The bracket 13 </ b> C is formed by bending a sheet of steel sheet that is long in the sliding direction into a reverse hat shape when viewed from the side. As shown in FIGS. 3 to 4, the bracket 13 </ b> C has top plate portions 13 </ b> C <b> 2 that bend and extend in the front-rear direction from the upper edge portions of the respective vertical surface portions 13 </ b> C <b> 1. The fastening bolt 13C3 is inserted and fastened from the lower side to be integrally connected to the top plate surface portion 12B of the upper rail 12 from the back side. A release member 16A, which will be described later, is assembled to each vertical surface portion 13C1 of the bracket 13C so as to be slidable in the height direction from above. Locking protrusions 13C4 that restrict the downward movement of the release member 16A at predetermined positions are formed on the left and right sides of each vertical surface portion 13C1 of the bracket 13C so as to protrude in the left-right direction.

<Movement of lock spring 13A>
The lock mechanism 13 having the above-described configuration includes the lock pieces 13A2a and 13A3a and the pair of lock pieces 13A2b and 13A3b of the U-shaped wings 13A2 and 13A3 projecting in the U-shape on the left and right sides of the lock springs 13A. The sliding movement of the upper rail 12 with respect to the lower rail 11 is held in a locked state by entering the corresponding locking groove 11B1 of the lower rail 11 from the lower side by the restoring force of the spring. Specifically, each of the lock springs 13A will be described in detail in FIGS. 12 to 15, but the lock pieces 13A2a and 13A3a and the pair of lock pieces 13A2b of the U-shaped wings 13A2 and 13A3 projecting to the left and right sides thereof. 13A3b are arranged so as to be shifted from each other by a specific dimension in the sliding direction, so that four lock patterns, which will be described later with reference to FIGS. The sliding movement of the upper rail 12 is locked by entering.

<Release member 16A>
Returning to FIG. 5, the release member 16 </ b> A constituting the release mechanism 16 described above includes a top plate portion 16 </ b> A <b> 1 and a side plate portion 16 </ b> A <b> 2 that hangs down from the left and right sides of the top plate portion 16 </ b> A <b> 1. The shape is bent into a letter shape. The release member 16A is configured such that a corner portion 16A3 that protrudes in a vertical plate shape from the central portion in the width direction is integrally formed on the top plate portion 16A1. The release member 16A is set so as to be dropped from the upper side between the front and rear vertical surface portions 13C1 of the bracket 13C described above, so that each of the release members 16A protrudes from the front and rear edges of the left and right side plate portions 16A2. The guide protrusions 16A2a are respectively attached to the left and right side surfaces of the respective vertical surface portions 13C1 on the front and rear sides of the bracket 13C described above, and are assembled in a state in which each vertical surface portion 13C1 is sandwiched from both the left and right sides (FIG. 7). reference). By the above assembly, the release member 16A is assembled in a state of being guided so as to be able to slide straight in the height direction with respect to the bracket 13C (see FIG. 5).

  Then, by the above assembly, the release member 16A is applied in such a manner that the bottom surfaces of the left and right side plate portions 16A2 are placed from above on the left and right U-shaped wings 13A2 and 13A3 of the lock springs 13A. Set as state. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 9, by the above assembly, the release member 16 </ b> A has left and right U-shaped wings 13 </ b> A <b> 2 that are held in a slanted upward posture by the spring force of each lock spring 13 </ b> A when in the free state. 13A3 is supported from the lower side and is held in a state of being lifted upward.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the release member 16 </ b> A described above is assembled with the bracket 13 </ b> C on the back side surface of the top plate surface portion 12 </ b> B of the upper rail 12 in a state where the release member 16 </ b> C is assembled with the bracket 13 </ b> C. It passes through the through hole 12B1 formed through the top plate surface portion 12B from the lower side and is set in a state of protruding upward (see FIG. 3). As a result, in the release member 16A, the corner 16A3 protruding from the top plate surface portion 12B of the upper rail 12 is pushed down by the push plate 16B3 of the slide lever 16B by an operation of pulling up a slide lever 16B described later, and each lock spring 13A The left and right U-shaped wings 13A2 and 13A3 are operated so as to be simultaneously pressed and bent downward to be removed downward from the respective lock grooves 11B1 of the lower rail 11 (see FIGS. 10 to 11). .

<Slide lever 16B>
As shown in FIG. 1, the slide lever 16 </ b> B described above is formed of a round pipe material bent into a substantially U shape in plan view. The slide lever 16B is formed such that the central portion of the U-shape extends straight in the width direction as an operation portion 16B1 that is gripped by a seated person. Further, the slide lever 16B is disposed such that each portion bent rearward from the left and right end portions of the operation portion 16B1 extends rearward along the inner portion of each upper rail 12. The portion is hinge-connected to the vertical surface portion 12A inside each upper rail 12 by a hinge pin 16B2 so as to be rotatable in the height direction (see FIGS. 2 to 3).

  A flat pressing plate 16B3 is integrally attached to each end of the slide lever 16B that is bent to the rear side on the left and right sides. These push plates 16B3 project from the respective end portions of the slide lever 16B to a position where they ride on the top plate surface portion 12B of the upper rail 12 on each side, and protrude upward from the top plate surface portion 12B. Each corner 16A3 is provided so as to cover from above (see FIG. 9). As shown in FIG. 1, the slide lever 16B is normally in a state in which the operation portion 16B1 is pushed down around the hinge pins 16B2 by the biasing force of a spring (not shown) hooked between the upper rails 12. It is supposed to be retained. Then, the slide lever 16B is operated so that the above-described operation portion 16B1 is pulled up by the seated person, whereby each push plate 16B3 is pushed down around each hinge pin 16B2 as shown in FIGS. Thus, each corner 16A3 of the release mechanism 16 is pushed down by each push plate 16B3, and each lock spring 13A is removed from the lock groove 11B1 of each lower rail 11.

<Specific Lock Structure of Lock Spring 13A>
By the way, each lock spring 13A described above is assembled to the upper rail 12 via the bracket 13C as described above with reference to FIGS. 4 and 9, and each U-shaped wing 13A2, projecting in a U-shape on the left and right sides thereof. 13A3 protrudes from the through grooves 12A1 of the upper rail 12 to the left and right sides, and individually enters the corresponding lock grooves 11B1 of the lower rail 11 from the lower side. Specifically, when the lock springs 13A allow the lock pieces 13A2a and 13A3a of the U-shaped wings 13A2 and 13A3 and the pair of lock pieces 13A2b and 13A3b to enter the corresponding lock grooves 11B1 of the lower rail 11, FIG. As shown in FIG. 3, the lock pieces 13A2a and 13A3a and the pair of lock pieces 13A2b and 13A3b are also inserted into the lock grooves 12A2 extending in a slit shape upward from the through holes 12B1 of the upper rail 12, respectively. .

  Due to such a configuration, each lock spring 13A is in the middle of protruding to the left and right sides of the lock rails 12A2 of the upper rail 12 and the corresponding lock grooves 11B1 of the lower rail 11 as it enters. The portions are applied from the front and rear sides by the vertical surface portions 12A facing the lock grooves 12A2 of the upper rail 12, respectively. Accordingly, each lock spring 13A is supported from the front and rear sides by the vertical surface portion 12A facing each lock groove 12A2 of the upper rail 12, so that the length of the cantilever support projecting from these toward the lock groove 11B1 of the lower rail 11 is increased. The state is kept short and the movement of each lower rail 11 in the sliding direction can be firmly restricted.

  As shown in FIGS. 12A to 12C, the lock springs 13 </ b> A described above are arranged so that the lock pieces 13 </ b> A <b> 2 </ b> A and 13 </ b> A <b> 3 a of the U-shaped wings 13 </ b> A <b> 3 and 13 </ b> A <b> 3 correspond to the left and right sides of the lower rail 11. The lock grooves 11B1 are arranged side by side in the slide direction so that the positions in the pitch P where the lock grooves 11B1 are arranged are arranged at different positions shifted by a quarter of the pitch P. It has been configured. Similarly, each pair of lock pieces 13A2b and 13A3b formed in a U shape with each of the lock pieces 13A2a and 13A3a is also arranged at the same pitch position as each of the lock pieces 13A2a and 13A3a forming these pairs. Are formed so as to slide relative to each lock groove 11B1 at different positions shifted by a quarter of the pitch P in the pitch P where the lock grooves 11B1 are arranged. It is in a state of being provided side by side in the direction.

  Since each of the lock springs 13A has such a configuration, the lock pieces 13A2a and 13A3a of the U-shaped wings 13A2 and 13A3 projecting to the left and right sides are integrally formed with the pair of lock pieces 13A2b and 13A3b. Thus, in each of the pitches P in which the lock grooves 11B1 are arranged, the lock rails 11B1 enter or leave the corresponding lock grooves 11B1 of the lower rail 11 at different positions shifted by a quarter of the pitch P. It has become. Each lock spring 13A is arranged such that the lock pieces 13A2a and 13A3a of the U-shaped wings 13A2 and 13A3 and the pair of lock pieces 13A2b and 13A3b are arranged at the shifted positions. Regardless of the slide position, any one of the U-shaped wings 13A2 and 13A3 is always arranged at a position where it can enter the corresponding lock groove 11B1 of the lower rail 11. Yes.

  As described above, any one of the U-shaped wings 13A2 and 13A3 is configured to always be able to enter the corresponding lock groove 11B1 of the lower rail 11, so that the sliding position of the upper rail 12 can be increased. Even when the vehicle is moved to the upper rail 12, even when an unexpected sudden slide operation such as a vehicle collision occurs, the upper rail 12 is hooked and regulated so as not to slide more than a certain amount with respect to the lower rail 11. ing.

<Lock pattern of lock spring 13A>
Hereinafter, the groove of each lock groove 11B1 of the lower rail 11 described above with respect to each arrangement interval in the sliding direction of the lock pieces 13A2a, 13A3a and the pair of lock pieces 13A2b, 13A3b in the left and right U-shaped wings 13A2, 13A3 of each lock spring 13A described above. This will be described in detail together with the relationship between the width W and the groove interval D. In the following description, the lock pieces 13A2a and 13A3a and the pair of lock pieces 13A2b and 13A3b of the U-shaped wings 13A2 and 13A3 on the left and right sides of each lock spring 13A described above are a combination of pairs arranged at the same pitch position. These will be described in a simplified form representative of each one of the lock pieces 13P1 to 13P4.

  That is, for the lock piece 13A2a of the U-shaped wing 13A2 and the pair of lock pieces 13A2b projecting toward the left side (the lower side in the drawing) of the front lock spring 13A, the lock piece 13A2a located on the rear side of these is designated as 1 A description will be given by using the lock piece 13P1 as a representative. Further, for the lock piece 13A3a and the pair of lock pieces 13A3b of the U-shaped wing 13A3 projecting toward the right side (the upper side in the drawing) of the front lock spring 13A, the pair of lock pieces 13A3b located on the rear side of these are A description will be given by using the single lock piece 13P2. Further, with respect to the lock piece 13A2a of the U-shaped wing 13A2 and the pair of lock pieces 13A2b projecting toward the left side (the lower side in the drawing) of the rear lock spring 13A, the pair of lock pieces 13A2b located on the front side of these is provided. A description will be given by using the single lock piece 13P3 as a representative. Further, with respect to the lock piece 13A3a of the U-shaped wing 13A3 and the pair of lock pieces 13A3b projecting toward the right side (the upper side in the figure) of the rear lock spring 13A, one lock piece 13A3a located on the front side of these is provided. The lock piece 13P4 will be described as a representative.

  As shown in FIG. 12 (d), each of the lock pieces 13P1 to 13P4 described above is slid by a quarter (P / 4) of the same pitch P in the pitch P where the lock grooves 11B1 of the lower rail 11 are arranged. Are arranged in a line at equal intervals. The pitch P at which the lock grooves 11B1 are arranged is a length obtained by adding the groove width W of the lock grooves 11B1 and the groove interval D described above. Each of the lock pieces 13P1 to 13P4 is provided in a line at regular intervals as described above, and thus always corresponds to any one of the four lock patterns shown in FIGS. In each of the lock grooves 11B1, one hits the front standing wall and the other hits the rear standing wall, so that the lock groove 11B1 can enter and lock in a state in which no backlash occurs.

  Specifically, it is as follows. That is, as shown in FIG. 12 (d), the first lock pattern is such that the two front lock pieces 13P1 and 13P2 enter the lock groove 11B1, and the two rear lock pieces 13P3 and 13P4 are the lock grooves 11B1. It is a pattern that rides on the shelves in between. In this lock pattern, the front lock piece 13P1 entering the lock groove 11B1 hits the front standing wall in the lock groove 11B1, the second lock piece 13P2 from the front hits the rear standing wall in the lock groove 11B1, and the upper rail. The 12 sliding movements with respect to the lower rail 11 are locked in a state where there is no backlash in the front-rear direction.

  In the second lock pattern, as shown in FIG. 13 (d), the position of each lock piece 13P1 to 13P4 in the sliding direction is one-fourth of the pitch P than the position shown in FIG. P / 4) is shifted to the rear side, the lock pieces 13P1 and 13P4 on both ends enter the lock groove 11B1, respectively, and the two middle lock pieces 13P2 and 13P3 ride on the shelf between the lock grooves 11B1. . The arrangement of the U-shaped wings 13A2 and 13A3 in this state is as shown in FIGS. In this lock pattern, the front lock piece 13P1 entering the lock groove 11B1 hits the rear standing wall in the lock groove 11B1, and the rear lock piece 13P4 also entering the lock groove 11B1 is in the lock groove 11B1. The sliding movement of the upper rail 12 with respect to the lower rail 11 hits the front standing wall and is locked in a state in which there is no backlash in the front-rear direction.

  In the third lock pattern, as shown in FIG. 14 (d), the position of each lock piece 13P1 to 13P4 in the sliding direction is a quarter of the pitch P further than the position shown in FIG. 13 (d). The rear two lock pieces 13P3 and 13P4 enter the lock groove 11B1, respectively, and the front two lock pieces 13P1 and 13P2 ride on the shelf between the lock grooves 11B1. It is. The arrangement of the U-shaped wings 13A2 and 13A3 in this state is as shown in FIGS. In this lock pattern, after entering the lock groove 11B1, the second lock piece 13P3 comes into contact with the front standing wall in the lock groove 11B1, and the rear lock piece 13P4 which also enters the lock groove 11B1 is the lock groove 11B1. The sliding movement of the upper rail 12 with respect to the lower rail 11 is locked in a state where it does not rattle in the front-rear direction when it hits the rear vertical wall.

  In the fourth lock pattern, as shown in FIG. 15 (d), the position of each lock piece 13P1 to 13P4 in the sliding direction is a quarter of the pitch P further than the position shown in FIG. 14 (d). (P / 4) is shifted to the rear side, and the two middle locking pieces 13P2 and 13P3 enter the locking groove 11B1, respectively, and the locking pieces 13P1 and 13P4 on both ends ride on the shelf between the locking grooves 11B1. is there. The arrangement of the U-shaped wings 13A2 and 13A3 in this state is as shown in FIGS. In this lock pattern, the second lock piece 13P2 from before entering into the lock groove 11B1 hits the front wall in the lock groove 11B1, and the second lock piece 13P3 after entering into the lock groove 11B1 is locked. The sliding movement of the upper rail 12 with respect to the lower rail 11 hits the rear standing wall in the groove 11B1 and is locked in a state where there is no backlash in the front-rear direction.

  Note that the four lock patterns shown in FIGS. 12 to 15 are states when the slide position of the upper rail 12 is in the above-described positions, and the slide position of the upper rail 12 is somewhat in the front-rear direction from these slide positions. In the shifted state, only one of the lock pieces 13P1 to 13P4 enters the lock groove 11B1. In this state, the upper rail 12 slides in the sliding direction with respect to the lower rail 11 within a range in which any of the lock pieces 13P1 to 13P4 entering the lock groove 11B1 can move within the lock groove 11B1. It will be ready to move.

  However, when the upper rail 12 is moved in either the front or rear direction from the above state, one of the lock pieces 13P1 to 13P4 entering the lock groove 11B1 is either the front or rear in the lock groove 11B1. By hitting the standing wall, the slide position of the upper rail 12 is in any one of the four lock patterns shown above. Therefore, in any state where the upper rail 12 is moved, when an unexpected sudden slide operation such as a vehicle collision occurs, the lock pieces 13P1 to 13P4 that enter the lock groove 11B1. Since either one of these is moved only within the lock groove 11B1, the upper rail 12 is regulated so as not to slide over the lower rail 11 beyond a certain level.

  Each lock spring 13A described above has a configuration in which the lock pieces 13A2a and 13A3a of the U-shaped wings 13A2 and 13A3 and the pair of lock pieces 13A2b and 13A3b are respectively wound around the support shaft 13B and prevented from coming off. ing. Therefore, each of the lock springs 13A enters the lock grooves 11B1 of the lower rail 11 with any of the lock patterns described above and is locked, causing an unexpected and sudden slide operation such as a vehicle collision. Even if a large load that causes a forced displacement in the sliding direction is input to the lower rail 11, the lock pieces 13A2a and 13A3a of the U-shaped wings 13A2 and 13A3 and the pair of lock pieces 13A2b and 13A3b are detached from the support shaft 13B. Thus, there is no possibility that the upper rail 12 and the lower rail 11 will come out of the lock grooves 11B1. Therefore, the sliding operation of the upper rail 12 with respect to the lower rail 11 can be firmly locked by each lock spring 13A.

<Summary>
In summary, the slide rail 10 of the present embodiment has the following configuration. That is, it is the slide rail 10 that connects the seat 1 (vehicle seat) to the floor F (vehicle body) in a slidable state. The slide rail 10 includes a lower rail 11 (fixed side rail) attached to the floor F, an upper rail 12 (movable side rail) attached to the seat 1 so as to be slidable on the lower rail 11, and an upper rail 12 (one of the rails). Four lock pieces 13P1 to 13P4 that lock the slide between the rails 11 and 12 by being energized into the plurality of lock grooves 11B1 formed on the lower rail 11 (the other rail). Have. Each lock groove 11B1 has a fixed groove width W in the sliding direction and a pair of left and right structures arranged at equal intervals in the sliding direction with an interval D three times the groove width W. The four lock pieces 13P1 to 13P4 are divided into two on the left and right sides, and each of the lock pieces 13P1 to 13P4 is different from each other by a quarter of the same pitch P in the pitch P where the lock grooves 11B1 are arranged. Are arranged side by side in the sliding direction so as to be in a relationship of being arranged in the.

  With this configuration, regardless of the slide position of the upper rail 12, two of the four lock pieces 13P1 to 13P4 are always connected to one end and the other end in the slide direction in the lock groove 11B1. Can be brought into a slide lock state. The slide lock described above can be performed at a pitch in the narrow sliding direction that is the same as the groove width W of each lock groove 11B1 because each lock piece 13P1 to 13P4 is arranged at the above-described interval, and each lock groove 11B1 can be performed with high locking strength with a wide wall width that is three times the groove width W of 11B1. With such a configuration, it is possible to achieve both the guarantee of the lock strength of the slide rail 10 and the narrowing of the lock pitch of the slide lock.

  Further, the four lock pieces 13P1 to 13P4 are constituted by two lock springs 13A that project one piece to the left and right to exert a symmetrical slide lock spring force. With such a configuration, the slide lock structure can be rationally configured with a small number of parts.

  Specifically, each of the two lock springs 13A is constituted by a torsion spring, and each lock piece 13A2a protruding one by one on the left and right is bent back into a U-shape to slide with each lock piece 13A2a. It is set as the shape made into the shape which has a pair of lock piece 13A2b located in the same phase along with a direction. With such a configuration, the lock strength of the slide rail 10 can be effectively increased without increasing the number of components.

  Each of the two lock springs 13A has a structure in which a support shaft 13B (pin) is passed through the central winding portion 13A1 and is supported by the upper rail 12, and each lock piece The end portions 13A2c and 13A3c, which are bent back in the U-shape of 13A2a and 13A3a, are hooked on the support shaft 13B and are prevented from coming off. With such a configuration, when a large load is input between the rails 11 and 12 in the sliding direction so that the rails 11 and 12 are forcibly displaced in the sliding direction, the locking pieces 13A2a Even when the pair of lock pieces 13A2b formed in the U-shape and bent at the end are laterally bent by this force, the pair of lock pieces are prevented from being moved in the direction of coming out of the lock grooves 11B1. it can.

  The two lock springs 13A are configured such that the left and right U-shaped wings 13A2 and 13A3 are arranged so that four lock pieces 13P1 to 13P4 arranged in the slide direction appear alternately on the left and right. By having such a configuration, the left and right lock pieces 13P1 to 13P4 can be arranged in a well-balanced manner so as to exhibit a balanced lock strength on the left and right.

  Then, the structure of the slide rail 10 of Example 2 is demonstrated using FIG. In this embodiment, the end portions 13A2c and 13A3c of the left and right U-shaped wings 13A2 and 13A3 of each lock spring 13A are not wound around the support shaft 13B (pin) as shown in the first embodiment. The inner surface of the vertical surface portion 12A of the upper rail 12 (one rail) or the inner surface of the portion extending downward from the front and rear edges of the side plate portion 16A2 of the release member 16A, respectively, is bent vertically to the sliding direction. It is assumed to have been assigned. The end portions 13A2c and 13A3c of the lock springs 13A described above are bent to opposite sides.

  Since each lock spring 13A is configured as described above, the vehicle crashes in a state where each lock spring 13A enters and locks in each lock groove 11B1 of the lower rail 11 (the other rail) with each lock pattern shown in the first embodiment. Even if an unexpected and sudden sliding operation such as the above occurs and a large load is applied between the upper rail 12 and the lower rail 11 to cause a forced displacement in the sliding direction, the lock pieces 13A2a and 13A3a of the U-shaped wings 13A2 and 13A3 And there is no possibility that the pair of lock pieces 13A2b and 13A3b will come out of the lock grooves 11B1 of the upper rail 12 and the lower rail 11, respectively. Therefore, the slide of the upper rail 12 with respect to the lower rail 11 can be firmly locked by each lock spring 13A.

<Other embodiments>
As mentioned above, although embodiment of this invention was described using two Examples, this invention can be implemented with various forms other than the said Example. For example, the “slide rail” of the present invention is a vehicle body that includes seats other than the right seat of an automobile, seats applied to vehicles other than automobiles, and seats used for various vehicles such as railways and airplanes. On the other hand, what is necessary is just to be provided as what is connected to the state which can be slid. Further, the “slide rail” may be arranged in a horizontal posture without being inclined between the vehicle seat and the vehicle main body.

  Further, the “slide rail” may be configured such that the vehicle seat is connected to the vehicle body so as to be slidable in the lateral direction. Further, the “slide rail” may be used in such a manner that the fixed rail is tilted sideways by being attached to the side wall of the vehicle. As an example used for such a purpose, a seat back (vehicle seat), as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2010-274738, etc., has a backrest angle with respect to a vehicle side wall (vehicle body). Can be used for applications that can be linked to a state where adjustments can be made.

  Further, the “four lock pieces” of the present invention may be provided individually by separate parts. In addition, the “four lock pieces” may be configured such that two pieces provided separately on the right and left sides are each composed of one part. Further, the “four lock pieces” may be made of a spring material other than a torsion spring such as a leaf spring, and a lock claw piece having a higher structural strength than the spring material is coupled to the spring material. It may consist of. In other words, the “four lock pieces” may not be configured as a spring material formed by bending the wire material as a whole, and the claw pieces are inserted into the lock grooves by urging to be locked. It may be.

  Further, the “four lock pieces” may be attached to the lower rail (one rail) and lock the slide between the two rails by entering the lock groove formed in the upper rail (the other rail). Good. Further, the “four lock pieces” may be those that are unlocked by a pulling operation instead of a pressing operation. In addition, the “four lock pieces” are provided separately on the left and right sides, and are arranged at different positions shifted from each other by a quarter of the pitch in which the lock grooves are arranged. As long as it is provided side by side in the slide direction so as to be related, in addition to those provided continuously in one pitch, even those provided intermittently across a plurality of pitches Good. The slide rail of this invention should just be the arrangement | positioning structure which can become the said relationship, and the specific dimension of each part is not specifically limited.

1 seat (vehicle seat)
2 Seat back 3 Seat cushion 10 Slide rail 11 Lower rail (fixed side rail, other rail)
11A Bottom portion 11B Lower fin portion 11B1 Lock groove 11C Clearance 11D Shoe stopper 12 Upper rail (movable side rail, one rail)
12A Vertical surface portion 12A1 Through groove 12A2 Lock groove 12B Top plate surface portion 12B1 Through hole 12C Upper side fin portion 13 Lock mechanism 13A Lock spring 13A1 Winding portion 13A2 U-shaped wing 13A2a Lock piece 13A2c Pair lock piece 13A2c U-shaped lock 13A3c Piece 13A3b Pair of lock pieces 13A3c End 13B Support shaft (pin)
13C Bracket 13C1 Vertical surface portion 13C2 Top plate portion 13C3 Fastening bolt 13C4 Locking protrusion 13P1 to 13P4 Lock piece 14 Resin shoe 15 Steel ball 16 Release mechanism 16A Release member 16A1 Top plate portion 16A2 Side plate portion 16A2a Guide protrusion 16A3 Lever corner 16B Operation part 16B2 Hinge pin 16B3 Press plate F Floor (vehicle body)
W Groove width D Interval P Pitch

Claims (6)

A slide rail for connecting the vehicle seat in a slidable state with respect to the vehicle body,
A fixed rail attached to the vehicle body;
A movable rail that is assembled to the fixed rail so as to be slidable and attached to the vehicle seat;
Four locking pieces that are attached to one rail and lock the slide between the two rails by energizing into a plurality of locking grooves formed on the other rail,
Each of the lock grooves has a fixed groove width in the sliding direction and a pair of left and right structures arranged at equal intervals in the sliding direction with an interval of three times the groove width.
The four lock pieces are provided separately on the left and right, and the positions of each of the lock grooves arranged in one or more pitches are shifted by a quarter pitch. It is arranged in different positions, two of them enter into each lock groove, split into one end and the other end in the slide direction of the groove, and the remaining two slide in a manner that rides between each lock groove lock to that slide rail. The slide rail according to claim 1,
The slide rail is composed of two lock springs in which the four lock pieces project from one to the left and right to exert a symmetrical slide lock spring force. The slide rail according to claim 2,
Each of the two lock springs is constituted by a torsion spring, and each of the lock pieces protruding one by one on the left and right is bent back into a U shape and aligned with the lock pieces in the sliding direction. A slide rail configured to have a pair of locking pieces arranged at the same pitch position. A slide rail for connecting the vehicle seat in a slidable state with respect to the vehicle body,
  A fixed rail attached to the vehicle body;
  A movable rail that is assembled to the fixed rail so as to be slidable and attached to the vehicle seat;
  Four locking pieces that are attached to one rail and lock the slide between the two rails by energizing into a plurality of locking grooves formed on the other rail,
  Each of the lock grooves has a fixed groove width in the sliding direction and a pair of left and right structures arranged at equal intervals in the sliding direction with an interval of three times the groove width.
  The four lock pieces are provided separately on the left and right, and the positions of each of the lock grooves arranged in one or more pitches are shifted by a quarter pitch. It is configured to be arranged at different positions,
  The four lock pieces are composed of two lock springs that project one piece to the left and right to exert a symmetrical slide lock spring force, and each of the two lock springs is a torsion spring. A pair of lock pieces, each of which is configured to be bent in a U-shape and arranged in the same pitch position corresponding to the lock pieces in the sliding direction. A slide rail that has a shape. The slide rail according to claim 3 or claim 4 ,
Each of the two lock springs has a configuration in which a pin is passed through a central winding portion of the two lock springs and is pivotally supported with respect to the one rail, and the lock pieces are bent in a U shape. A slide rail in which the returned end is hooked on the pin to prevent it from coming off.   The slide rail according to claim 3 or claim 4,
  Each of the two lock springs has a configuration in which a pin is passed through a central winding portion of the two lock springs and is pivotally supported with respect to the one rail, and the lock pieces are bent in a U shape. A slide rail in which the returned end is bent in the sliding direction and hooked on the one rail to prevent it from coming off.

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